My favorite salads always pile on the herbs with reckless abandon, and this one is no exception. Indeed, this herb salad is pretty much just a big mountain of herbs masquerading as lettuce, dressed with a perfectly tangy and rich dressing.
Read on to learn how to use whatever leafy herbs you’ve got + how to store them for maximum shelf life, or jump to the recipe if you’re ready to go!
What kinds of herbs can go in an herb salad?
Almost any!
You can absolutely feel free to include some of your other favorites in this herb salad—throw in whatever you’ve got on hand. Dill, mint, and tarragon all work wonderfully here in smaller quantities.
If you can’t stand cilantro, you can also just add more parsley and basil to compensate. It’s super adaptable, but the idea is always the same: 1/3 herbs, 2/3 lettuce, and lots of good stuff on top.
If you don’t have watercress, replace it with a 1:1 blend of lettuce and herbs. In other words, replace it with a bit more romaine and a bit more herbs.
The only herbs to stay away from in this herb salad are the woody/perfumey kinds like thyme, rosemary, oregano, and sage. While you can get away with using as much basil, cilantro, or parsley as you’d like, more intensely fragrant flavors work better in small doses.
How to wash herbs for a long shelf-life
How to wash herbs:
Submerge the de-stemmed leaves in a bowl of cold water. Gently agitate to loosen dirt. Shift herbs to one side, drain away the dirty water, and repeat the process with fresh water as needed. On the final rinse, lift herbs out by hand rather than draining with a strainer—this helps leave any residual grit behind. Dry using a towel or spin dry in a salad spinner.
For towel drying: loosely roll the herbs in a clean towel, hold both ends, and shake vertically a few times. See the video below.
How to store herbs:
Begin by removing any bruised or damaged leaves to prevent spoilage. Wrap unchopped herbs in a damp (not soaked) kitchen towel and place them inside an airtight container.
Properly stored, herbs can remain fresh for several days to over a week, depending on their type. Hardy herbs like parsley tend to last longer than delicate varieties such as mint or dill. For optimal shelf life, store different types separately, especially if you expect to use them at different times.
(If video does not appear below, please disable ad block)
PrintHerb Salad
Note: The watercress and herbs in this salad are super flexible. See the discussion above the recipe for substituting herbs.
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
- Outer leaves from 1 medium head romaine [225g leaves], coarsely chopped
- 1 small bunch watercress [40g], torn
- Leaves and tender stems from 1 small bunch cilantro [40g leaves]
- Leaves from 1 small bunch parsley [20g leaves]
- Leaves from 1 small bunch basil [20g leaves]
- 1 small bunch chives [20g], coarsely chopped
- 1 large green onion [20g], thinly sliced
- 4 or 5 radishes, thinly sliced [60g]
- 6 small tomatoes [175g]
- ⅔ cup crumbled feta [90g] (omit or replace with vegan feta to make vegan)
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts [50g]
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup [55g] extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons [15g] honey
- 1 tablespoon [15g] red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon [15g] water
- 1 teaspoon [5g] dijon mustard
- 1 medium clove garlic, crushed through a press
- ½ teaspoon [3g] salt
Instructions
- Place the romaine in a large mixing bowl and toss together with some of the dressing.
- Top with the watercress, herbs, chives, green onion, radishes, tomatoes, feta, and walnuts, drizzle with more dressing, and serve.
Notes
Tips for storage: Store your herbs properly for a long shelf life—basil and chives will last for a few days, parsley and cilantro will last for more like a week or two. You can also store greens this way, which will last for about 3 to 7 days. Whole romaine leaves will last longer—if their stems oxidize a little, just trim the brown bit away.
If you want to make this salad ahead for guests, store the lettuce and herbs in one container, the toppings in another, and the dressing in another. Dress the lettuce at herbs at the last moment, then top with the rest of the toppings, and drizzle with more dressing.
If you don’t want to eat the whole salad at once, store the lettuce/herbs in one container, toppings in another, and dressing in another, and assemble smaller portions as needed.
